Strong winds developed over portions of south central and eastern NM as a potent upper level trough slammed eastward across the region early on the 17th. Widespread windy conditions were reported with areas across the south central high terrain experiencing wind gusts as high as 70mph.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
Strong winds developed over portions of south central and eastern NM as a potent upper level trough slammed eastward across the region early on the 17th. Widespread windy conditions were reported with areas across the south central high terrain experiencing wind gusts as high as 70mph. Some damage was also reported around the central and northeast highlands as the potent cold front pushed through the region. Widespread blowing dust occurred with this event...where some locales reported visibilities below one half mile at times.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 17, 6:52 AM MST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 752 AM MDT WED APR 17 2013 .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE UPDATED FRONT INTO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS THIS MORNING HAS RESULTED IN SOME FOG...LOW CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE WITH LIFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES IN KCAO THIS MORNING AND EXTENDING JUST TO KTCC...WITH CONDITIONS CLEARING OUT BY AROUND 15Z TO 17Z. STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET NOSING INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO WILL SUPPORT STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS NEW MEXICO MUCH OF THE DAY. A PACIFIC COLD FRONT CURRENTLY THROUGH NORTHWEST THIRD OF THE STATE WILL RESULT IN A SURFACE WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST THEN NORTHWEST AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE STATE. SHOWERS WILL ALSO MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT...FAVORING WESTERN AND NORTHERN HIGHER TERRAIN AND RESULTING IN SOME MVFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES MAINLY AFTER 18Z. ADDITIONALLY...BLOWING DUST WILL ACCOMPANY THE WINDS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH LOCAL VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS OF LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES. BY EVENING...BETWEEN 00Z AND 03Z...A STRONG FRONT WILL RACE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS...WITH GUSTY NORTH WINDS THROUGH KTCC BY 06Z. 05 && .PREV DISCUSSION...339 AM MDT WED APR 17 2013... BIG CHANGES IN THE WEATHER DEPARTMENT STARTING TODAY...INCLUDING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND SOME PRECIPITATION. ONE THING THAT WILL NOT CHANGE IS MORE WIND. DEEP TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT BASIN WILL CROSS NM TONIGHT INTO THU. STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP FROM W TO E ACROSS THE STATE TODAY WHILE A BACK DOOR POLAR FRONT WILL PARK ITSELF OVER FAR NE NM. THIS MAKES FOR A TRICKY TEMPERATURE FORECAST AROUND CLAYTON TODAY. NAM SEEMS TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE LOW LEVEL FLOW SO LOWERED THE HIGH IN CLAYTON 10 DEGREES BUT THAT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH. LOWERED TUCUMCARI SEVERAL DEGREES AS WELL. HIGHS IN THE NW WILL BE UP TO 25 DEGREES LOWER THAN TUE WHILE MORE IN THE 10 TO 15 DEGREE RANGE COOLER IN CENTRAL AREAS. THE SE ZONES WILL CONTINUE WARM FOR ONE MORE DAY. THE WIND MACHINE WILL CONTINUE TO CRANK OUT PLENTY OF WIND TODAY. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SC ZONES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND WE WILL ISSUE WIND ADVISORIES TO THE N AND E OF THE WARNING AREA WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. BLOWING DUST TO PLAGUE ALL THIS AREA TODAY. SHOWERS AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE W AND N THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE COLD FRONT STALLED OVER THE NE TODAY WILL BLAST S TONIGHT WITH STRONG WINDS. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS LIKELY OVER THE ERN PLAINS TON. OUR WIND ADVISORY THAT WE ISSUE THIS AM WILL RUN THROUGH 9 PM. DAY CREW WILL LIKELY NEED TO EXTEND THIS THROUGH TON AND ADD UNION CO TO THE ADVISORY. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL EXPAND S AND E TON AND TURN OVER TO ALL SNOW. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES LOOK GOOD FOR TON INTO THU. WILL ADD RATON RIDGE...JOHNSON MESA ZONE TO THE ADVISORY WITH SOME CONCERN NRN UNION CO COULD GET A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW TON. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES FOR MUCH OF THE E...SAN JUAN RIVER VALLEY...AND PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. FREEZE AND HARD FREEZE WARNINGS WILL BE NEEDED. WILL LET THE OVERWORKED DAY CREW TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS. ADDITIONAL ENERGY WILL ROUND THE TROUGH THU AND KEEP PRECIPITATION GOING OVER THE NC AND NE ZONES. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL BE NOTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE W THU BUT STRONG WINDS WILL NOT BE AS WIDESPREAD AS RECENT DAYS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SHOCKINGLY COLDER OVER THE E...ESPECIALLY THE EC AND SE PLAINS...WITH CLOVIS AND ROSWELL AROUND 30 DEGREES COLDER THAN TODAY. HIGHS AREAWIDE WILL BE 15 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW LATE MID APRIL NORMALS. FRI AND SAT WILL BE MILDER WITH HIGHS AROUND NORMAL BY SAT. FRI WILL BE DRY WHILE A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CLIP THE N SAT INTO SUN WITH ISOLATED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. A STRONGER SYSTEM MAY IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK. CHJ ...WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY...MAINLY CENTRAL AND EAST... .FIRE WEATHER... DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING NEW MEXICO AND CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER WESTERN UTAH. UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK AND ASSOCIATED DRY IR INTRUSION ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND NOSING INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO. PACIFIC COLD FRONT HAS MOVED INTO NORTHWESTERN ZONES AND WILL CROSS THE STATE TODAY...WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST FLOW STEADILY SHIFTING WEST THEN NORTHWEST AS THE FRONT PASSES AND MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN ITS WAKE. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY LATE MORNING ACROSS EAST CENTRAL LOCATIONS AND EXPANDING IN COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY. AREA OF MOST UNCERTAINTY FOR TODAY WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHEAST ZONES WHERE A COLD FRONT HAS EDGED IN...USHERING SOME HIGHER DEWPOINTS AND LOW CLOUDS. HARD TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF THIS FRONT DURING THE DAY TODAY. STRENGTHEN SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE GRIDS WITH A GREATER NORTHWARD EXTENT...RESULTING IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF ZONE 104...HOWEVER...DID NOT INCLUDE THAT AREA IN THE RED FLAG WARNING DUE TO LIMITED DURATION. AT THE SURFACE...A CLOSED LOW WILL STRENGTHEN OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS...BUT NOT CERTAIN ON POSITION AND THEREFORE TIMING OF THE FRONT. CURRENT GRIDS DELAY THE STRONG PUSH OF NORTH WINDS INTO THE NORTHEAST TO AFTER 00Z. LOOK FOR AN INCREASE IN POPS ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WEST AND NORTH DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ZONES OVERNIGHT AS GUSTY NORTH WINDS BLAST THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS. BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION SHIFT TO THE THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AND NORTHEAST PLAINS WHERE SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...RH RECOVERIES TO BE POOR IN THE CENTRAL VALLEYS AND FAIR WESTERN AND EASTERN ZONES. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL SUB FREEZING LEVELS MOST AREAS. AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES EAST OF THE STATE...COLDER ALL ZONES ON THURSDAY...AND ESPECIALLY EAST. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS TO LINGER OVER THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AND NORTHEAST. DRYING ACROSS THE WEST AND WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST FLOW...SPOTTY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE NORTHWEST. CONTINUED SUBFREEZING TEMPS THURSDAY NIGHT. NORTHWEST FLOW PERSISTS ON FRIDAY WITH REBOUNDING TEMPERATURES HOWEVER STILL BELOW NORMAL. VERY DRY AIR TO MOVE IN. VERY LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH SLIGHT RH INCREASES NORTHERN ZONES BUT VERY DRY ELSEWHERE. 05 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ510-512>515-527. WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521>524-528-529-531>538. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ106>108. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ525-526-539-540. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM MDT THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ526-539-540. && 40
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 605 AM MDT WED APR 17 2013 NMZ501>540-181200- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 605 AM MDT WED APR 17 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WINDS WILL REDEVELOP TODAY ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EAST CENTRAL TO SOUTHEAST PLAINS. LOW HUMIDITY WILL PERSIST OVER THESE AREAS...KEEPING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ONGOING TODAY. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO RESULT IN AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS TONIGHT WILL FAVOR THE SAN JUAN AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS NORTHERN COLFAX COUNTY. THREE TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. STRONG AND GUSTY NORTH WINDS IN THE EAST TONIGHT WILL LOWER WIND CHILLS TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS...AND CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW IN THE FAR NORTHEAST. COLDER AIR OVERSPREADING THE REGION WILL RESULT IN A FREEZE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW WILL DIMINISH OVER THE NORTH THURSDAY WHILE WINDS SUBSIDE ACROSS THE EAST. ANOTHER FREEZE IS LIKELY FOR MANY AREAS THURSDAY NIGHT. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HIGH WINDS AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 40
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sierra Blanca regional airport reported peak winds between 58mph and 69mph several times during the period. The CWOP station 5 miles northwest of Nogal also reported high wind gusts to 58mph throughout this period.
Sierra Blanca regional airport reported peak sustained winds between 40mph and 55mph through the period.
Dunken RAWS reported peak wind gusts near 59mph several times through the period.
The CSBF Transwestern Pump facility reported at peak wind gust to 70mph.
The Dora mesonet site reported peak sustained winds between 40mph and 45mph on and off for several hours.
A vacant mobile home was overturned in Anton Chico as a dust storm descended on the area along a potent cold front.
A roof was partially torn off a home in Anton Chico as a dust storm descended on the area along a potent cold front.
Double Eagle airport reported peak wind gusts between 40mph and 44mph for almost 2 hours.
Belen Alexander airport reported peak sustained winds between 40mph and 46mph for nearly 2 hours.
Harry mesonet station at WSMR.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2013
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 435791, 435792, 435790, 435786, 435795, 435784, 435785, 435793, 435794, 435788.